Shotgun shell dispenser



Nov. 8, 1966 LEE ROY sPooNER 3,283,954

SHOTGUN SHELL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig 22 Y F/g. 2

Nov. 8, 1966 LEE ROY sPooNER 3,283,954

SHOTGUN SHELL DISPENSER Filed OC'C. l2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3 22 70 Fig/.4 22

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Lee Roy Spooner INV/EN TOR.

HY QM WWW me!! United States Patent Oiitice 3,283,954 Patented Nov. 8, i965 This invention comprises a novel and useful shotgun shell dispenser and more particularly pertains to a shotgun shell magazine having an improved means for loading shells thereinto and dispensing shells therefrom.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an automatic shotgun shell dispensing magazine of an extremely compact and lightweight character and which may be readily carried by the sportsman or gunner and which may be readily utilized to insert additional shotgun shells into the magazine or to withdraw shotgun shells therefrom as desired with a minimum of eiort on the part of the user.

A further object of the invention. is to provide a device in accordance with t-he preceding object having an improved shotgun shell dispensing element associate-d therewith which forms a combined closure for one end or the lower end of the magazine and which is readily operable by the user to individually discharge shotgun shells from the magazine while positively retaining the remaining shells in the magazine during the act of discharging a single shell.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic dispensing magazine in accordance with the preceding objects which shall be of a superior water and weatherproof character together with an improved means for facilitating the insertion of additional shotgun shells into the magazine in a manner and by a construction of the magazine which will render the number of shells stored in the magazine readily apparent from an inspection of the loading openings in an end wall of the magazine and yet wherein these openings are so arranged that although the shell may be readily inserted into the magazine, its accidental escape through a loading opening will be substantially completely prevented.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic shotgun shell magazine and dispenser having an improved shotgun shell follower within the magazine for successively feeding a stack of shells -disposed in side by side relation in a single row towards a discharge opening at one end of the magazine and which may be easily adjusted to iit the follower upon its actuator rod to the position of the endmost shell in the magazine.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a shotgun shell dispenser and magazine in accordance with the preceding objects wherein one side wall of the magazine is provided with a longitudinally extending slot and wherein the follower comprises a plate movable within the magazine and having an apertured lug extending through the slot in slidably guided relation therein together with an actuator rod slidably mounted and guided upon the exterior of the magazine and adjacent the opposite ends of the slot for adjustably supporting thereon the guide lug of the follower,

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary View showing in perspective a preferred embodiment of the shotgun shell dispenser in accordance with this invention, the operation of the dispenser element for dispensing a single shell from the magazine being shown therein and the mounting of the magazine upon the belt of the user being suggested in this figure;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view upon a somewhat reduced scale of the magazine of FIGURE 1 and its mounting upon the belt of the user, the belt being shown in dot-and-dash lines therein;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken upon an enlarged scale, partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section and from the left end of FIGURE 1 and showing the position of a plurality of shotgun shells within the magazine;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view from the front of the magazine of FIGURES 1 and 3, parts being broken away and shown in vertical section and showing further details of the magazine;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed View taken upon an enlarged scale in vertical transverse section substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5 5 of FIGURE 3 and showing the resilient biasing means of the magazine follower actuator rod;

FIGURE 6 is a further detailed view of the lower porl tion of FIGURE 3 but showing the normal position of the ejector element prior to its ejecting operation;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7-7 of FIGURE 4 and showing the position of the magazine follower within the magazine of the device;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the ejector element, shown removed from the magazine; and,

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the follower element, shown removed from the magazine.

By way of illustrating a preferred and examplary manner of applying the principles of this invention, there is indicated generally by the numeral 10 a shotgun shell dispensing magazine in accordance with this invention, which magazine is shown mounted upon the belt 12 of the user. Although this particular -use of the magazine is illustrated, it will be appreciated that the various structural features and improvements effected by this invention as set forth hereinafter are not necessarily limited to this particular use.

As shown in the drawings, the magazine 10 comprises an elongated casing or housing forming a container which is provided with a first pair of generally parallel and vertically extending front and rear side walls 16 and 18 respectively and which are rigidly joined together by a second pair of integral vertically extending generally parallel opposite side walls each indicated by the numeral 20. It will be further noted that there is provided an integral top end wall or closure 22 while the bottom or lower end of the magazine is open as shown best in FIG- URES 3 and 4. In addition, the lower portion of the front wall t6 is provided with an opening as by being cut away at 24, this constituting a shotgun shell discharge opening for the device.

Upon the rear side wall there are provided a pair of laterally and rearwardly projecting bails or handles 26 through which the previously mentioned belt 12 may be disposed to provide a convenient means for supporting the device upon the person of the user in a convenient and readily accessible manner.

Although for convenience the drawings illustrate the container 10 as being formed of a sheet metal material, it is to be understood that any suitable material such as a plastic or the like may be employed where desired.

In order to effectively carry out the purposes of this invention, the interior of the container 10 is preferably of such length, thickness and width that a plurality of shotgun shells such as those indicated by the numeral 3d may be disposed in side by side arrangement in a single row or vertically disposed stack. As shown in FIGURES l, 3 an-d 6, the base end of each of the shells is disposed adjacent to a side wall 20 having a plurality URES 3 and 6, the unapertured portion of the side wall prevents the inadvertent escape of a shell through the adjacent loading opening. In other words, the openings are so oriented with respect to the row or stack of shotgun shells in the magazine that in the normal position Y of the latter, the axes of the shells are displaced from and staggered from the axes of the openings, this arrangement being clearly shown in FIGURE 3.

As above-mentioned, the lower end of the magazine is open while the top end is closed. This arrangement additionally prevents the access of rain into the magazine since it is unnecessary to open the top or end of the magazine for the purpose of loading the latter. Moreover, the position of the base of the shells adjacent the loading openings 32 in the side Wall 20 of the magazine likewise tends to prevent the ingress of moisture such as rain, snow or the like into the magazine.

Referring now espe-cially to FIGURES 3 and 6, it will be observed that the rear side wall 18 of the magazine at its lower end and adjacent the discharge opening 24 is provided with a rearwardly recessed semi-cylindrical groove or trough 34. Pivotally mounted upon the magazine as upon the side lwalls 20 thereof and adjacent the opening 24 is an ejector element indicated generally by the numeral 36. The ejector element preferably comprises a single sheet-like member having at about its midportion a pair of oppositely projecting and aligned pintles or trunnions 38 which are suitably :pivotally mounted in the side walls 20 as by extending through apertures 40 therein as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4.

The ejector element 38 includes a portion or semicylindrical member 42 which is of a configuration of a I shotgun shell and which is adapted as shown in FIGURE 6 to `be recessed into and seated in the recessed portion 34 of the rear side wall when the ejector is in its normal inoperative position. The ejector element further includes upon the opposite side of the pintles 38 from the member 42 a finger grip portion 44 which extends below the open end of the container in the manner shown in FIGURES 3 and 6 so that it may be readily engaged by the hand of the user as shown in FIGURE 1, may be rocked about the axis of its pintles 38 to thereby move the member 42 from its recessed or retracted inoperative position of FIGURE 6 to the shell ejecting position of FIGURES 1 and 3.

It will be noted in the normal position the lowermost shotgun shell 3ft, as shown in FIGURE 6, will rest in the semi-cylindrical member 42 which thus constitutes a seat or support for the lowermost shell and in turn for the entire stack or row of shells which are urged thereagainst by the magazine follower as set forth hereinafter. At this time the lowermost shell is positioned adjacent the discharge opening 24 in readiness for discharge therefrom but is retained by being received in the pocket or seat of the member 42.

In order to eject this shell, the -user merely depresses as with a finger of his hand as shown in FIGURE 1, the finger grip portion 44 and thereby pivots the ejector in a lclockwise direction as seen by comparing FIGURE 6 with FIGURE 3. This rocks the member 42 with the shotgun shell received therein towards the opening 24, this rocking movement being stopped by the abutting of the edge 46 of the ejector element portion 42 against the front wall at the upper edge of the discharge opening 24. At this time, the shell is dropped out of the opening as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1 into the hand of the .usen It should be noted that .during this movement the portion 42 now closes the opening 24 and prevents the next adjacent shotgun shell from moving down into a position adjacent the opening. It is not until the ejector has been returned to its original position of FIGURE 4 that the lowermost shell may now drop into the vacated shell-receiving pocket of the member 42 and the entire stack will thus move downwardly in the magazine under the impetus of the magazine follower as set forth hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGURES l, 4 and 7, it will be noted that the front wall I6 of the magazine has a vertically or longitudinally extending, preferably medially disposed slot 5ft. This slot may extend any desired length of the front wall and preferably extends from the top thereof to substantially just above the upper edge 0f the discharge opening 24. Projecting laterally from the front wall and adjacent the ends of the slot 5f) are a pair of apertured lugs 52 and 54. Conveniently these lugs may be integrally struck from the material of the front wall during the formation `of the slot 56 therein. The apertured lugs slidably receive therein an actuator rod 56 which is of any suitable length and at its lower end projects below the lug 54 where it is provided with a stop collar 58 and a compression spring 6ft is disposed between the stop collar and the lowermost lug 54 to thereby yieldingly urge the rod into a downward position. Obviously, additional guide lugs may be provided along the length of the rod as may be desired.

Received Within the magazine and substantially filling the cross-sectional area of the latter is a shell follower '70 preferably in the form of a plate having a downwardly curving lip or flange 72 at one end thereof so that the plate may, as shown in FIGURE 3, at least partially brace the top surface of the uppermost shell 30. Intermediate its ends, the plate has a laterally projecting guide member 74, having an aperture 75 therein by which it is slidably received on the actuator rod 56 while the member 74 is guidingly and slidingly received in the slot 5f) for longitudinal movement therein.

Preferably, the shell follower aperture 75 is -sufiiciently larger in diameter than that of the actuator rod S6 so that a slight tilting or canting of the follower with respect to the rod is possible. Consequently, under the pressure ofthe spring 60, and the downward thrust imparted thereby to the actuator rod 56, the follower 7i! is slightly tilted or canted with respect to the actuator rod to thereby lock through this tilting action the follower to the rod in various adjusted positions thereon. When positioning the plane of the follower member '74 perpendicular to the axis of the rod 56, the follower can be readily adjusted along the rod so as to position the follower and/or the rod in any desired location with respect to the interior of the magazine and the shells contained therein. In this manner, it will be apparent that the follower will automatically urge the stack or row of shells toward the discharge -opening whereby they may be fed successively therefrom by operation of the ejector 36 in the manner previously described.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

i. A shotgun shell dispensing magazine comprising an elongated container of sucient length, width and thickness for storing a plurality of shotgun shells in side by side relation in a single row, said container having pairs of generally parallel opposite side walls, said container having a discharge opening in a first of said side walls adjacent one end thereof and of sufiicient size for the sidewise passage of a shell therethrough, a dispenser element pivotally mounted upon said container for rocking movement about a transverse axis adjacent said discharge opening, said element having a portion disposed within said container and engaging and supporting the endmost shell of said row of shells and being movable for conveying said endmost shell to and discharging it through said discharge opening while supporting the next adjacent shell and preventing its movement longitudinally of said container to said opening, a shell follower disposed in said container and engaging the outermost shell from said discharge opening and urging said shells towards the latter, one of said container side walls having a longitudinal slot therein, said follower having a guide member projecting through and being slidably and guidingly disposed in said slot, an actuator rod upon which said guide member is adjustahly secured, and a spring yieldingly urging said actuator rod and the attached follower in a direction for feeding said shells toward said discharge opening.

2. The combination of claim 1 including apertured lugs projecting laterally from the side wall having said slot and adjacent the latter, said -actuator rod being slidably supported by said lugs.

3. A shotgun shell dispensing magazine comprising an elongated container of sufficient length, width and thickness for storing a plurality of shotgun shells in side by side relation in a single row, said container having pairs of generally parallel side walls, said container having a discharge opening in a side wall at one end thereof of suicient size for the sidewise passage of a shell therethrough, a dispenser element pivotally mounted upon said container for rocking movement about a transverse axis adjacent said discharge opening, said element having a portion disposed within said container and engaging and supporting the endmost shell of said row of shells and being movable for conveying said endmost shell to and discharging it through said discharge opening while supporting the next adjacent shell and preventing its movement longitudinally of said container to said opening, one of said side walls adjacent said rst side wall having a series of longitudinally spaced loading openings therein of sufficient size for endwise passage of a shotgun shell therethrough when the axes of an opening and shell are aligned.

4. The combination `of clairn 3 wherein the axis of each opening is out of register with the axes of the adjacent shells when the latter are in their endmost positions in said container.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said dispenser element includes a blade disposed in and extending transversely across the container interior and having a recess therein providing a shell-receiving seat, said element further including a finger grip portion extending exteriorly of said container.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said container has -an end closure at one end and is open at its other end, said dispenser element being disposed at and providing a closure for said open other end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 372,181 10/1887 Speed 224-15 558,057 4/1896 Ferguson 224-15 2,237,712 4/1941 Mullins 221-227 X 2,352,685 7/1944 Brinker 221-102 X 2,587,225 2/ 1952 Rossi 221-276 X 2,623,803 12/ 1952 Gamble 221--227 X 3,161,321 12/1964 Mellion et al. 221-269 X FOREIGN PATENTS 9,780 5 1899 Sweden.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A SHOTGUN SHELL DISPENSING MAGAZINE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CONTAINER OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH, WIDTH AND THICKNESS FOR STORING A PLURALITY OF SHOTGUN SHELLS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION IN A SINGLE ROW, SAID CONTAINER HAVING PAIRS OF GENERALLY PARALLEL OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING IN A FIRST OF SAID SIDE FOR THE ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF AND OF SUFFICIENT SIZE FOR THE SIDEWISE PASSAGE OF A SHELL THERETHROUGH, A DISPENSER ELEMEMT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED UPONG SAID CONTAINER FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID ELEMENT HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE ENDMOST SHELL OF SAID ROW OF SHELLS AND BEING MOVABLE FOR CONVEYING SAID ENDMOST SHELL TO AN DISCHARGING IT THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING WHILE SUPPORTING THE NEXT ADJACENT SHELL AND PREVENTING ITS MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CONTAINER TO SAID OPENING, A SHELL FOLLOWER DISPOSED IN SAID CONTAINER AND ENGAGING THE OUTERMOST SHELL FROM SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND URGING SAID SHELLS TOWARDS THE LATTER, ONE OF SAID CONTAINER SIDE WALLS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT THEREIN, SAID FOLLOWER HAVING A GUIDE MEMBER PROJECTING THROUGH AND BEING SLIDABLY AND GUIDINGLY DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT, AN ACTUATOR ROD UPON WHICH SAID GUIDE MEMBER IS ADJUSTABLY SECURED, AND A SPRING YIELDINGLY URGING SAID ACTUATOR ROD AND THE ATTACHED FOLLOWER IN A DIRECTION FOR FEEDING SAID SHELLS TOWARD AND DISCHARGE OPENING. 